When it comes to the style of your home, there are so many options to choose from, but how do you tell the difference? Most people just look and say, I like this or, I don't like that but did you know that there are different styles of builds with different features that are designed to draw you in? I thought I would dive into some of these styles and see if I can help you find out what the differences are and some of the things you may like, or not like about them! I am going to do a small series on different styles, some that may be available in Halton, and some that may not be!
One of my favorite styles of homes is a Craftsman. You do not see many of these homes in the newer areas of Halton but you can find them if you start looking around the older areas...the really older areas! This style of home was first introduced in the "Arts and Crafts period" which date back to the late 1800's. We have some of these homes in Halton and they are very common all over North America, usually in older neighbourhoods. It is believed that this style started in Britten and France which made its way here around the turn of the 20th century.
I have had the chance to work on several of these styles of home both for contracting and painting. They are not easy and this is due to the nature of the design and build. Some of the features that pinpoint a Craftsman home are that they are normally built out of natural materials. You will typically see a lot of wood, stone, and brick being used on the exterior.
Inside, you will typically see a lot of built in furniture such as book shelves, window seats, and shelving. Built-in cabinets allowed the furnishings to be part of the architecture, ensuring that the design unified the space. Normally they have an open floor plan and exposed beams which would accentuate the time and craftsmanship that went into these styles of home. Another major theme for these homes was a large, prominent fireplace in the living room and a protruding, dominant chimney that would be visible from the exterior and fit beautifully with the exterior of the home.
From a curb appeal view, Craftsman style homes usually have large, full sized and covered front porches that span the width of the home and they are held up with large wood or stone pillars. These pillars are both structural and designed to be pleasing to view. They are thick, round or square posts that are usually anchored into a stone base. The rooflines for this style typically have long, low sloping peaks which incorporate large eves and soffits with triangular and beautifully crafted brackets throughout. On the exterior, most craftsman style homes also have large dormer windows that stick out on the front. They are usually centered and may have 1 or more windows in them.
Craftsman, by design are built to be intricate, carefully constructed, open and intended to use the space as economically as possible. When you are looking to buy one of these homes, that can mean that they may cause you a few headaches along the way. These homes tend to need a fair amount of maintenance to keep their beauty and charm as they age. They do however hold their value throughout the years and this is due to their high level of craftsmanship, quality and conscious use of space. They are also less likely to become dated over time due to their simple and elegant design.
To me, these homes are beautiful, well thought out and they take us back to a time when people truly took pride in their craft. When a builder started work on a home of this design, they would have some of the best tradesman to bring their vision to life. It ranks as one of my favorite style of homes that we still see and build today!
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